Instep support or arch.



No. 888,986. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

J. SANDLBR.

INSTEP SUPPORT OR ARCH. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1001.

arches which are JACOB SANDLER, OF BOSTON, MASSAPHUSET'JS.

TO J. L. HINCKLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

YORK, N. Y.

Specification ol'Letters Patent.

.issloxoa, m' MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, AND 0. D. KRL'MSLHEID, OF NEW INS'IEP sorroa'r OR ARCH.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed August 15, 1907. Serial No. 388,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jacos SANDLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in instep Supports or Arches, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to instep supports or applied and worn inside of boots or shoes for upholding the arch of the instep to prevent breaking down of the same, such as that shown and described in Letters Patent issued to me May 7, 1097No. 852,625, on which the present invention is an improvement and the object of the present invention is to provide an inste) support of the character disclosed in the etters Patent referred to with means, as hereinafter set forth, for reinforcing the metallic resilient stiffening plate to prevent the breaking thereof, and,

urthei' to increase. or decrease the resiliency of certain portions of the stiffening plate when occasion so requires.

A further object of the invention is to providea simple and effective reinforced instep support or arch pro of a yieldable nature to render it comfortabl e to the wearer and at the same time practical in performingits func' tion without buckling or wrinkling the adjacent leather cover, or lining, as well as preventing breaking of the resilient stiffening plate.

With the foregoing, and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in theclainls hereunto appended.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several viewsligurc 1 is an inverted plan view of a reinforced inste support or arch prop in accordance with t is invention; Fig/2 is a'longitudinal, sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. I, and, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a resilient metallic stiffening plate formed of any suitable material, but such that it will retain its sha e or the shape desired and also give to the so e piece 2 the necessary arch to support the instep. The

contour conforming to that of the boot or shoe ad 'acent to the instep arch, and is riveted or at erwise fastened to the sole piece 2 as at 3. One side of the plate 1 has an upplate 1 has an edge I wardly- )rojccting or laterally-curvcd ex'tension 4 w iich is so shaped as to conform, more or less closely, to the normal arch of the foot at the instep. sion is intersected by anoutwardly-divergin slot 5 extending in a transverse direction an communicating at its inner end with a longitudinally-extending relief slot 6. The slot 5 allows for the compression of the plate and instep of the arch formed by the"'c'xten's1on 4.

The depression of the entire late by the weight imposed thereon causes the two ed es 7, 8 of the slot 5 to draw nearer to each other and the inner relief slot 6 permits such movement of the edges of the. slot 5 towards each other without liability of buckling or fracturin, the intermediate part of the plate 1 so that the shape of the entire plate is maintained throughout its extent. The revision, of the slots 5 and 6 also obviates n'eaking down of the plate, no matter what weight is disposed thereon. Furthermore the rutting away of the plate in the manner as set ,forth assists m returning the plate to its normal position after a maximum rcssure thereon has been relieved. 'lheref in'e the shape of the instep of a boot or shoe is regularly preserved with comfort to the wearer and benefit to the boot or shoe structurally.

It will be seen that the plate is longitudinally arched, as well as laterally arched or upturnedas just set forth and by this duplex arching of the plate the contour of a boot or shoe is rendered such as to fully conform to the natural sha c of the foot.

To overcome iability of the plate breaking and to provide means whereby the plate 1 can be stiffened at certain portions throughout its length or width, a reinforcing mem er 9 is interposed between theplate 1 and the sole piece 2. The reinforcing member 9 is adjustably connected to the plate 1 through the medium of a headed stud ill, the shank 11 of which extends through the slot 6, the diameter of the shank beim such that the member 9 can be longitudinally adjusted with respect to the plate 1 and sole piece 2. The member 9 is formed of suitable metallic material and is substantiall concavo-convex in longitudinal section am with the edge thereof 'COl'lfOI'Nling in contour to that of the boot or shoe. adjacent to the instep arch; or in other words the edge of the member 9 conforms substantially in contour to the edge of the plate 1.

This Lip-curved lateral exten Owing to the interposition of the member 9 be tween the plate 1 and the sole piece 2 it is evident that such member acts as a reinforcing means to prevent the breaking of the late 1 and that when said member is adjuste longitudinally withrespect to the plate 1 it is evident that it acts as a stiffening medium for the platel to (prevent the bending thereof; or in other wor s, when moved clear of a portion of the late 1 the resiliency of such portion will not e affected, but the resilienc of that portioniif the plate which is engage .by the-member will be affected owin t0 the fact that the plate 1 will be stiffened by engagement with the member therewith.

The reinforcing member 1 is not onl lonitudinally adjustable, but transverse adustable as it is evident that the heade stud 10 can be positioned in the slot 5 so that a transverse adjustment of the reinforcing member can be had in order to stiffen the late 1 at various ortions throughout its ength as will be evi ent. When the member 11 1S transversely adjusted it is evident that it will act as a means to stiffen the split portion of the plate 1, such portion being formed by the slots 5 and 6. What I claim is 1.. An instep su port or arch prop comprisin' a stationary p ate of resilient, material, a

so e piece conforming to an instep arch, means for securing the said stiffening plate to the sole iece, and a reinforcing member interposed etween the stiffening plate and the sole piece and adjustably connected to said stiffening plate.

,2. An instep su port or arch prop comprising a stationary p ate of resilient material, a so e piece conforming to an instep arch,

means for securing the said stationar plate to the sole piece, and a longitudina ly and transversely-adjustable reinforcing member interposed between the stiffening plate and the sole piece.

3. An instep su port or'arch prop comprisin a stationary p ate of resilient material, a so e piece conformin means for securing sai stiffening plate to the sole piece, and a lon itudinall and transverseiyadjustable resi ient rein orcing member interposed between the stiffening plate and the sole piece.

4. An instep support or arch prop comprising a sole piece con orming to an instep arch, a stiffening member carried thereb and a longitudinally and transversely adjustable geinforcing member for said stiffening mem- In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB SANDLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN L.'HINGKLEY, RICHARD C. TERPA.

to an instep arch,. 

